Research
How to evaluate a nonprofit in under 10 minutes
You don't need a finance degree. Here's the five-number framework our team uses to quickly assess any organization's health and impact.
20 Jan 2025
Now free to start
The smarter way to give with confidence.
Giving Compass centralizes nonprofit data, IRS financials, and AI-powered discovery so donors, advisors, and platforms can research any of 1.9M organizations — in one place, for free.
Trusted by leading philanthropic organizations and platforms
Features
Discover, Learn, and Give with Confidence
Giving Compass is the premier philanthropy discovery platform designed to help donors find vetted nonprofits, understand complex issues, and make informed giving decisions with ease.
Vetted Nonprofits
Discover high-impact organizations that have been rigorously vetted for transparency, accountability, and effectiveness.
Issue Insights
Dive deep into comprehensive guides and research reports that help you understand the root causes of social problems.
Impact Tracking
Monitor the real-world outcomes of your donations and see the tangible difference your generosity is making.
Platform
Nonprofit intelligence that works for everyone
From a first-time donor to a foundation managing $200M — Giving Compass puts centralized nonprofit data and AI-powered discovery in your hands, free.
AI-Powered Discovery
Ask any question in plain English and get answers backed by 1.9M nonprofits and 18+ years of IRS 990 data — not a list of links.
Real-Time Financial Data
Access live IRS 990 filings, cash-on-hand metrics, executive compensation, and grant histories in seconds.
Impact Evidence Reports
Surface published outcomes and program metrics from nonprofit impact reports, curated and indexed for fast comparison.
Guided Giving Experience
A giving style quiz, personalized recommendations, and an AI guide help first-time and experienced donors alike.
API & Data Solutions
Embed verified nonprofit data into donor-facing products. Built for DAF platforms, wealth managers, and CSR tools.
Sector Intelligence
Identify funding gaps, benchmark foundations, and run landscape analyses across causes, geographies, and UN SDG alignment.
1.9M+
Nonprofits indexed
18+
Years of IRS data
$4.2T
Grants analyzed
"We've been using Giving Compass to research and vet nonprofits for every major grant we make — it's become indispensable to our team."
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about Giving Compass and how it works.
Is Giving Compass free to use?
Yes — individual donors can search nonprofits, view profiles, and access key financial data at no cost. Giving Compass Pro unlocks advanced filters, AI comparison tools, and deeper data visualization.
What nonprofit data does Giving Compass provide?
Who uses Giving Compass?
How does Compass Explorer work?
Do you offer an API for platforms?
Giving Compass Pro reviews
Read what our community of customers say
Giving Compass has been a foundational resource for our nonprofit news and community growth. It puts critical information in front of the people who need it most.
Nikolas Gibbons
Regional Nonprofit Network
We rely on Giving Compass to distribute effective philanthropy perspectives to donor audiences who are actively deciding where to give.
Marco Kelly
National Nonprofit Alliance
We embedded the Giving Compass API into our donor portal and saw engagement with nonprofit profiles increase 40% in the first quarter.
Zaid Schwartz
DAF Platform
The depth of financial data and the speed of discovery are unmatched. Our advisors use it daily to benchmark organizations across sectors.
Ammar Foley
Philanthropic Data Partner
The AI-guided discovery saves our team hours every week. The data quality and transparency of methodology give us full confidence in our recommendations.
Florence Shaw
Philanthropic Advisor Network
The breadth of coverage — 1.9 million organizations — means we can serve any employee in any geography. Setup was simple, and the data is reliable.
Owen Garcia
Corporate Giving Platform
The platform's reach to DAF holders has meaningfully amplified our mission visibility. It connects us to donors we could never have reached on our own.
Mathilde Lewis
International Grantmaker
Compass Explorer is genuinely different — it transforms raw 990 data into actionable insight without requiring any data science background.
Stefan Sears
Sector Research Body
Our advisors trust the financial health signals and impact evidence. Giving Compass gives context that raw 990s alone never could.
Harriet Rojas
DAF Sponsor
Our blog
Latest from Giving Compass
Tools, strategies, and sector research to help your philanthropy go further.
Data
What IRS 990s actually tell you — and what they don't
Form 990 is the richest public dataset on nonprofits. But it has limits. Learn what to read, what to ignore, and what to ask next.
19 Jan 2025
Philanthropy
Donor-advised funds: where the money goes next
DAFs hold over $230 billion in assets. Understanding how to unlock that capital for nonprofits is one of the most important conversations in giving.
18 Jan 2025